Blown Away in the Windy City

Cortney Vaughn and Matt Morris check out one of the final Cards vs. Cubs games of the season in Chicago.

On a recent visit to the Windy City, we were able to take advantage of all the city has to offer, finding ourselves — figuratively speaking — blown away by the experience.

Upon arrival to the luxurious Viceroy hotel, located in Gold Coast, we were in awe of the décor in the lobby all the way to our room. The staff was friendly, helpful and even allowed us to check in early as we were eager to start our mini weekend getaway.

At first glance, my eyes were fixated on the oversized tub and every girls dream in a hotel room- a walk in closet with a full length mirror. I knew that would come in handy when getting ready that evening.

A standard king room inside the Viceroy Hotel in Chicago.

My first order of business, pleasure rather, was a lovely Brunch at Viceroy’s restaurant, Somerset. This isn’t your ordinary “hotel restaurant”. It had a swanky contemporary vibe of classic luxury with a fun twist. Outside, tables were full of guests enjoying one of the final warm days of a Summer Friday. We enjoyed our morning coffee with a side of avocado toast and balanced off the healthy breakfast with fulfilling Bloody Marias- that’s a Bloody Mary sub tequila. Just when we thought we couldn’t squeeze in another bite, the staff brought out a warm and freshly made PB+J PopTart- wow! I felt like I looked like a kid on Christmas morning. Happy, full, and ready to start the day.

I would be remiss to go to Chicago and not indulge in the nostalgia that comes with a trip to Wrigley Field. The amount of familiar faces we saw was almost as refreshing as the $14 beers on the hot September day. I was both impressed with the renovations completed over the past year, yet also slightly disappointed that a classic Wrigley staple- the scoreboard- had been replaced with a video screen. But more important to me was that the weekend ended with a four-game sweep by the Cardinals!

An updated scoreboard was recently installed at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Back to the hotel for quick nap and a long soak in the bath ( sidenote: hands down the BEST shampoo and conditioner that I have ever used in a hotel), we then headed to the rooftop for a poolside cocktail at Devereaux.

The rooftop bar was packed but we were able to cozy up in a lounge area in the corner where we had panoramic views of the beautiful city lights. We then headed to dinner at Maple and Ash, just around the corner form the hotel. It lived up to the hype and turned out to be well worth the one hour wait we were greeted by when we showed up for our reservation. We ran into a few friends in town from St. Louis and enjoyed a cocktail with them in the lounge. The dinner really was impeccable and the vibe got an A+ from us. We may or may not have popped back by Devereaux for yet another cocktail after dinner for a romantic little night cap.

The next morning we woke up feeling refreshed and relaxed. I was off to a half day of work meetings and then I subbed out my stilletos for tennis shoes and set out on a shopping excursion for some new pieces to add to my wardrobe. Chicago really does have some of the best shopping, in my opinion. We then strolled down the Riverwalk and admired the boats coming in while enjoying lunch in the city that is so full of life this time of year. I popped in the Merchandise Mart to say hello to a few of our design clients and got some inspiration for our new home back in St. Louis. On a warmer day, we might have opted for taking the boat out on Lake Michigan or done a kayak tour of Downtown Chicago. Next time, for sure.